Death Valley January '11

Death Valley National Park: A Land of Extremes

Hottest, Driest, Lowest: A superlative desert of streaming sand dunes, snow-capped mountains, multicolored rock layers, water-fluted canyons and 3 million acres of wilderness. Home to the Timbisha Shoshone people and to plants and animals unique to the harshest desert.

This January we had some beautiful sunny weather and I decided to take a trip to Death Valley National Park to explore a not-so-well-known trail.  My hope was that I would find a nice secluded 4 to 5 day backpacking trip to take some clients on during the slow winter season.  The trek I chose started in the small community of Stovepipe Wells.  After an 8 mile drive down a dusty road, a friend and I started on our 32 mile hike.

The first day was beautiful, temps in the 70s, steep canyon walls and plenty of amazing scenery.  That night we camped out by a rippling creek, (there was a lot of snow melt from a freak storm a couple weeks earlier.)  The temp dropped down to about 40 at night and a nice breeze kicked up through the canyon we were staying in.

The next two days were filled with frustration of a lack of trail markings and a marked spring that wasn't really there.  In the end, we made it out with a little water left and very little food but alive and healthy.  This is a great trips full of the wonder only a desert can provide but I think it may be better for Spring if I'm going to take less experienced hikers.


Below are photos of wild mustangs we encountered while on our trip.  The park ranger told us that is was extremely rare to see the wonderful creatures and we were lucky.